The Zapatistas are a group of revolutionaries in Mexico, and most of them are indigenous. The group acquires its name from Emiliano Zapata, a agrarian reformer and the commander of the Liberation Army of the South during the Mexican Revolution. Their spokesman, sub commander Marcos is not, and his identity is unknown. although he is speculated to be Rafael Sebastián Guillén Vicente (born June 19, 1957) by the Mexican authorities. Their main goals are to restore rights and equality between indigenous Mayans and the Mexican state.
History
The Zapatistas went public with their cause on January first, 1994, in response to the North American Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA) was passed. Since then they have joined and led many protests, the most notable being the other campaign. in addition to this, they have formed several independent municipalities across Mexico
Political philosophy
The Zapatistas employ a blend of Anarchism, Neo-Marxism and Libertarian socialism with traditional Mayan practices. They uphold a strong anti discriminatory policy, and claim to not discrimatat based on race, gender or sexual orientation. However, Zapatista differs from actual anarchism because the Zapatista prohibit the use of alcohol and drugs.
The Zapatista Women's Revolutionary Law
"taking into account the situation of the woman worker in Mexico, the [Zapatista]
revolution incorporates their just demands of equality and justice in the following
Women's Revolutionary Law:
1. Women, regardless of their race, creed, colour or political affiliation, have a
right to participate in the revolutionary struggle in any way that their desire
and capacity determine.
2. Women have the right to work and receive a just salary.
3. Women have the right to decide the number of children they have and care for.
4. Women have the right to participate in the matters of the community and to take
charge if they are freely and democratically elected.
5. Women and their children have the right to primary attention in their health and
nutrition.
6. Women have the right to education.
7. Women have the right to choose their partner and are not obliged to enter into
marriage.
8. Women have the right to be free of violence from both relatives and strangers.
Rape and attempted rape will be severely punished.
9. Women will be able to occupy positions of leadership in the organization and
hold military ranks in the revolutionary armed forces.
10. Women will have all the rights and obligations which the revolutionary laws and
regulations give."
Translated by Matt Miscreant of the Love and Rage revolutionary anarchist
federation in New York, USA. Courtesy of the Freedom Socialist Party (Canada), who
reprinted it from Kenesis Newspaper, February 1994.
The Other Campaign
The other campaign was a tour launched in January of 2006, and had sub commander Marcos touring all the mexicanstates for several months, meeting a wide range of political and social activists.
However, this campaign has been criticized by the Libertarian Socialist Group (Grupo Socialista Libertario) as not really being about activism and being more about making sub commander Marcos into a celebrity as he spent time signing autographs.
Impact on the world
The Zapaista inserection of 1994 inpsired demonstrations in 1999 at Seattle that caused the failure of the meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO), a failure from which the WTO has never recovered.
Overview
The Zapatistas are a group of revolutionaries in Mexico, and most of them are indigenous. The group acquires its name from Emiliano Zapata, a agrarian reformer and the commander of the Liberation Army of the South during the Mexican Revolution. Their spokesman, sub commander Marcos is not, and his identity is unknown. although he is speculated to be Rafael Sebastián Guillén Vicente (born June 19, 1957) by the Mexican authorities. Their main goals are to restore rights and equality between indigenous Mayans and the Mexican state.
History
The Zapatistas went public with their cause on January first, 1994, in response to the North American Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA) was passed. Since then they have joined and led many protests, the most notable being the other campaign. in addition to this, they have formed several independent municipalities across Mexico
Political philosophy
The Zapatistas employ a blend of Anarchism, Neo-Marxism and Libertarian socialism with traditional Mayan practices. They uphold a strong anti discriminatory policy, and claim to not discrimatat based on race, gender or sexual orientation. However, Zapatista differs from actual anarchism because the Zapatista prohibit the use of alcohol and drugs.
The Zapatista Women's Revolutionary Law
"taking into account the situation of the woman worker in Mexico, the [Zapatista]
revolution incorporates their just demands of equality and justice in the following
Women's Revolutionary Law:
1. Women, regardless of their race, creed, colour or political affiliation, have a
right to participate in the revolutionary struggle in any way that their desire
and capacity determine.
2. Women have the right to work and receive a just salary.
3. Women have the right to decide the number of children they have and care for.
4. Women have the right to participate in the matters of the community and to take
charge if they are freely and democratically elected.
5. Women and their children have the right to primary attention in their health and
nutrition.
6. Women have the right to education.
7. Women have the right to choose their partner and are not obliged to enter into
marriage.
8. Women have the right to be free of violence from both relatives and strangers.
Rape and attempted rape will be severely punished.
9. Women will be able to occupy positions of leadership in the organization and
hold military ranks in the revolutionary armed forces.
10. Women will have all the rights and obligations which the revolutionary laws and
regulations give."
Translated by Matt Miscreant of the Love and Rage revolutionary anarchist
federation in New York, USA. Courtesy of the Freedom Socialist Party (Canada), who
reprinted it from Kenesis Newspaper, February 1994.
The Other Campaign
The other campaign was a tour launched in January of 2006, and had sub commander Marcos touring all the mexicanstates for several months, meeting a wide range of political and social activists.
However, this campaign has been criticized by the Libertarian Socialist Group (Grupo Socialista Libertario) as not really being about activism and being more about making sub commander Marcos into a celebrity as he spent time signing autographs.
Impact on the world
The Zapaista inserection of 1994 inpsired demonstrations in 1999 at Seattle that caused the failure of the meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO), a failure from which the WTO has never recovered.